Watering systems for poultry houses usually include a water supply conduit that extends over the floor of the poultry house, which is typically built with a predetermined slope from one end to the opposite end to facilitate drainage. Because the water supply conduit is suspended at the same slope over the floor so as to be parallel with the floor, the slope causes an increase in pressure along the length of the water supply conduit toward the low end of the slope. As a result, water is supplied to the drinkers at the lower end of the water supply conduit at a higher pressure than at the upper end.
This problem is often addressed by providing pressure regulators along the length of the water supply conduit to maintain the same pressure along its length. The pressure regulators are often difficult to secure effectively to the water supply conduit because the water supply conduit is usually engaged with and supported by an elongated support that extends substantially along the length of the water supply conduit. Another problem associated with pressure regulators is that air can become trapped in the pressure regulator and pass into the water supply conduit, which can seriously harm birds. The air may result from, among other things, ineffective sealing of the valve element within the pressure regulator, or by the passage of fluid through channels of different diameters.